Friday, July 31, 2009

Why paint with brushes today when they are performing in their own perfect picture on the stairs. I love everyday art installments that happen just by the random gathering of stuff and I love that blogging gives a platform to record it.

The children are at their places of education, Jonno has just finished breakfast and left the house and I am going to revel in the solitude for a little while with some writing. I hope a little bit of bliss drifts into everybody's day. Toot toot.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

I haven't played along with my creative space for a few weeks now and I feel as though I am missing out on all the fun. I am so looking forward to catching up with a few new 'old' friends. Speaking of friends, one of my favourite people in the entire world came for a cup of tea this morning and gave me a packet of origami paper. Needless to say, it was sudden mating season for cranes around here. Now the benches are littered with them and they have even begun to nest in my wool. Hugo is fascinated by origami and has been making curtains (from what I have observed, you fold the paper in half and then twist it a bit) and other interesting things so I guess you could say I am sharing my creative space with him.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Somehow the new scarf I am knitting for my niece overtook the need to put washing away.

The fact that it is raining and the fireplace is roaring had more that a little to do with it. And I might just skip taking the dogs for a walk in this weather too. I kind of like how rain makes you rewrite your day.

Monday, July 27, 2009

There it is, my old friend the hexagon blanket. Every night it greets me with love as I let the best of my creativity pour through my hands into it. There is such an element of magic to the making of things. Once more, roll on evening so I can get back to work. The crochet 'hexagons' in the top photo are actually impostors being five sided pentagons rather than the required six. I must have been very tired one night. Instead these are going to become part of a scarf so I guess before any more blanket work, I had better stitch those pieces together. They can be my portable blankie - not that I need one because I am very sophisticated these days...

A little shot of our cows eating dinner in the hill paddock next to our house. I love this light because it means that in any second, a bright blue motorbike will come whizzing up the track and then all the fun begins.

Isn't that Number 164 a character, you would not believe the story she just finished telling me before I took the photo. You can see it in her eyes though. You know what she's talking about.

By the way, Archie did go to school today but was late!!!!! This morning he crept into my bed at 7am and fell back to sleep for an hour. This has never happened before in the history of our lives so I felt he must have needed it. Then I remembered. Last night I found him lying in his bed asleep, with a bowl of crusty sugar beside him, a bowl he had obviously been feasting on for quietly for many days. This morning he must have been on a major sugar low. Maybe it was a temporary diabetic coma. When he finally returned to the land of heartily awake, I mentioned the bowl. He visibly blanched, flailing in his own mortification. Underneath the "I'm so sorry" chant, I could definitely hear thoughts of "Note to self; always hide evidence before going to sleep".

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Some days it feels as though everything is so harried and children such whirlwinds, that peace will never be found again. Then strangely, the house quietens, the dust motes slow mid-track and breaths become deep and restorative.

After a day of cleaning the house, scraping the windows clean, washing a billion loads of laundry and restoring a weak shine to the floor, I am now sitting (dare I say levitating) in a moment of serenity. Dinner is bubbling on the stove and the boys are walking through the farm to meet Jonno at the shed as he finishes milking the cows. It's Sunday night so a cosy night of television on the big blue couch is waiting and Archie really, really, really starts back at school tomorrow. Imagine that.

I have just started back on my crochet hexagon blanket and I am completely in love with it again. After decreasing my ply (oh why not my thigh (s)) to the most ridiculous worm silk diameter, it is so comforting to be back on 8 ply wool again. And the repetition of doing a blanket... just what is needed. Better go and stir dinner. Have a lovely Sunday night. xxooxxooxx

p.s. Jonno just rang to say the boys made it to the other side of the farm safely - hurrah!!!!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

It has softened out slightly this morning but I was still rather startled to see my face so bluntly framed. Am getting nearer to that pixie cut every day. I think the hairdresser was aiming for scary dragon lady because she made me try on my glasses at the end and was very excited. Much more than me. Anyway, time to pack the car and explain to Hugo on the way up why we will not be eating the dinosaur bones (they are very chokey) on the way up to Auckland.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Oh dear. I was so sure Archie had three weeks for holidays so it was quite a surprise when my father-in-law rang with the news that school had started back a few days ago. I can't believe I forgot to send my son back to school!!!! Apparently they had been trying to ring me and hadn't been able to get through (damn that habit of taking the phone off the hook during nap time) and had suspected I was not quite aware of having to return my son. Archie was devastated when he overheard his grandparents discussing this turn of events and shouted that he was NOT going back to school this week. Needless to say, he was extremely relieved by my decision to keep him home for the 'extra' week of holiday.

Could you imagine growing up feeling as though you were ripped from the amniotic fluid of school holidays only to be brutally and prematurely returned to school with all promises of Auckland museum trips cancelled. I think the cost of therapy would far exceed the benefit of a prompt school return. So, the boys and I are off to Auckland tomorrow for a very lovely bonus bit of holiday.

By the way, I went to a big discount shop and found these crochet cottons for $1.50 each. I now have to find a hook small enough to use them with (it just seemed so simple at the time, 'Buy the yarn and you will crochet great things immediately and with superhuman speed'. Silly voice trapping me into things, next time it will stay at home caged).

Oh yes, I had a haircut while I was hanging around and she straightened it with some kind of odd instrument and I now look like an intimidating art gallery lady. Jonno was very brave and kissed me when he came home, even telling me how pretty I look. Maybe tomorrow when my natural waves and kinks and cowlicks pop back in I will look a bit more friendly.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Little glimpses of a Sunday morning. The sun was shining for a little while and I had to rejoice in it by photographing the spots where it fell. Archie is as pale as a sheet this morning so it will be another day taken slowly. I think wearing pyjamas and dressing gowns for most today will help with that kind of a pace.

Right now Hugo is in the kitchen sending all kinds of hints my way, "Did you say cooking Mum, did you say cooking manooking?".

I don't think I did but seeing how there is a batch of raw cooking dough left over from an apple pie, I don't see why not.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

It was a wet and stormy morning with an exhausted Jonno home early from calving. We all snuggled upstairs on the big blue couch underneath layers of warm blankets and watched 'Wallace and Grommit'. Sheer, giddy heaven. What else was I to do but finish off the project I began yesterday.

I have to admit I am thrilled and so pleased the whole confetti thing worked. I had a few moments where I just thought they weren't going to be heavy enough but so far so good... mind you, what was I expecting, that the jug cover would miraculously float away?

A leg of lamb is lazily roasting in the oven for tonight, floating in white wine, chicken stock, garlic and a squeeze of lemon and I am going upstairs into my bed with a hot water bottle to do a similar thing. In fact, the whole family is about to troop upstairs to do the same thing. How lucky am I to belong in a family where everybody considers it a good hobby. Archie's version is a little different to the rest of us though. He likes to listen to story Cd's, leaf through books, pen the odd note (sometimes love-filled and other times more the poisonous variety) and make the odd thing from Lego.Oh bliss, we are all beginning to melt up the stairs. Books. White sheets. Half-waking thoughts. Soul ironing.

Friday, July 17, 2009

I have been around my friend Belinda for too long and have come to the conclusion that I too need something to prevent flies from falling into my water. I'm just loving Susan Cropper's 'Vintage Crochet' and have used one of her snazzy patterns.Sorry about the quality of the photos, the light just isn't about at the moment and New Zealand is certainly living up to the whole 'land of the long white cloud' title. Come on sunshine, warm me up with a bit of your silky serotonin. A cup of tea will just have to do.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

It's a milestone day. Archie began to knit and did really well!!!! We went to a cafe (just the two of us) and snuggled into a comfy corner well fortified by hot chocolate milk and cake. Later on for Hugo's sake we reenacted the cafe scene at home. Their polite 'cafe conversation' was hysterical.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

I'm really, really, really greedy for colour again. I saw these cottons in the shop and almost cried with the sheer giddy relief of falling in love. And I knew that when I bought them I would be healthier, more creative, have longer hair, parent my children better, keep a tidier house.... actually I just thought they would keep my hands busy and my eyes happy and that they did. By the way, the tea cup wasn't crocheted from this yarn, I made it last night and thought I would include it.

Monday, July 13, 2009

With all of the boyness of my last two posts, I thought I had better add a touch of colour - the flowers at the bottom were being worked on while the boys were making glasses. I tried to get them involved but making bat-like head gear was much more fun. Maybe Jonno will want to have a go at them when he comes home. Probably not though.

By the way, the beautiful flowers are from my mother-in-law and she brought three different kinds of dessert with her - all gluten free too. She's a keeper.

We unpacked our craft supplies for stained glass windows but somehow a reddened mist of craziness descended and we made supersonic glasses instead. Hugo had a bit of help but Archie's bat glasses were completely his own work. I wonder if he will make me some Dame Edna Everedge glasses, complete with jewels and sparkle. I had better be nice.

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About Me

I am an Australian living in New Zealand with my husband Jonno and children Archie and Hugo on a harbourside dairy farm. My great aunt and uncle taught me to embroider when I was eight and I have been obsessed with fabric and thread ever since. I now crochet, knit, paint, sew, print fabric, embroider, write and all sorts of other things that raises seratonin. I am also lucky enough to design projects for Simply Crochet UK . Thanks for stopping by!